Post-Election Message From the DSA National Director

Tuesday night was not unpredictable. For centuries, the ruling class has used racism to divide working class and poor people and grind us down. It makes sense that people are scared, angry and desperate for change.

Even so, many of us are in mourning. Many of us are very afraid for our families, our neighbors, and our country.

We need to talk about how it came to this so we can develop a strong and strategic response. We are looking at how we seriously build our base for the coming struggle, and increase your ability to take meaningful action. We are looking at what we can do in solidarity and self defense with those who are the immediate targets for vigilante violence, and with those who will be further targeted by the State once Trump is in office.

Today, let¹s focus on immediate, productive action.

I encourage everyone, as you emotionally and mentally process our new situation with a GOP House, Senate, White House, Supreme Court, and many state houses and legislatures, elected by support for a sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic capitalist, to do the following:

1) Reach out to anyone in your life who may need emotional support, and tell them you are there. Hold each other close in this moment.

2) Reach out to any organizations in your area who could be among the first targeted, particularly those with whom you have an existing relationship, and tell them you have their back. Ask if there is anything you can do for them now. For example, immigrant rights organizations, immigrant churches, community groups, etc. Obama's deportation machine is in place and would be easy for Trump to accelerate. The fear that he will is pervasive right now, and regardless, vigilante violence or at least harassment is likely in the near term. Another example for outreach would be mosques, synagogues, and churches with primarily black, latino or asian congregations. Barrio defense teams, protective monitoring outside offices and religious houses, these are basic but critical tasks socialists can take on. We must make safe haven, sanctuary, and liberated zones everywhere we are.

3) After the Brexit vote in the UK there was a huge jump in street harassment, and it was already on the rise here during the recent presidential campaign. Organize trainings with friends to practice how to effectively interrupt and deflect street harassment if they observe it, or circulate online resources like "how to" videos and articles.

4) Think about building a DSA group in your community. The case for organizing as open democratic socialists building an independent multi-racial grassroots movement, including white poor and working class people, has never been more clear.

DSA¹s elected National Political Committee will develop and disseminate their thoughts in the coming days and provide opportunities for members to continue processing and planning.

This will be a very difficult time, but let's come together so we can keep fighting.

Join DSA members Eric Brasure and Brendan Hamill to discuss the British film Pride (2014). It’s 1984, British coal miners are on strike, and a group of gays and lesbians in London bring the queer community together to support the miners in their fight. Based on the true story of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. The film is available for rent on YouTube, Amazon, and iTunes. 8 ET/7 CT/6 MT/5 PT.

Join DSA member and labor historian Susan Hirsch in discussing Union Maids(1976). Nominated for an Academy Award, this documentary follows three Chicago labor organizers (Kate Hyndman, Stella Nowicki, and Sylvia Woods) active beginning in the 1930s. The filmmakers were members of the New American Movement (a precursor of DSA), and the late Vicki Starr (aka Stella Nowicki) was a longtime member of Chicago DSA and the Chicago Women's Liberation Union. It’s available free on YouTube, though sound quality is poor. 8ET/7CT/6MT/5PT.

DSA was concerned to find out that the company that provides our website and online organizing infrastructure, NationBuilder, had as a client the Trump campaign and other right-wing candidates. Progressives built this kind of infrastructure and tools for digital organizing and we have now lost that organizing edge. We are moving to identify other options for a CMS/CRM. As an under-resourced, member funded organization, this move will take time for us to carry out, but it is an important statement for us to make.